148 THE TREATME.NT OF BORDER 



the old-fashioned and awkward hurdles. That more inside room 

 should be given, that the lamber may have more freedom when 

 employed inside the pen in hand-suckling the lambs. 



Where the shepherd's house is not in close proximity to the 

 lambing shed, a small house should be erected where he may 

 rest, and in which a fire should be placed, not only for his own 

 comfort, but that by having the necessary warmth close at hand, 

 he may be able to save the life of a lamb which otherwise in all 

 probability would have died. In this house too, he could keep 

 any instruments considered necessary, as well as such requisites 

 as carbolic oil, lard, olive oil, and any of the more common 

 remedies which a herd is often called upon to administer. 



The walls of the lambing-court should be built of stone, about 

 5 feet high, so that every protection may be given to the ewes 

 when cold winds prevail ; suitable gates should be constructed 

 for ingress and egress, and a stack of straw for littering would not 

 be out of place. A small turnip-house as well as a box for cake 

 and corn, should also be provided under the same roof as the 

 lambing-pens. 



As an illustration of perfect accommodation for ewes, we shall 

 describe the pens to be seen on the farm of Crookhouse, Lanton, 

 Northumberland. All the pens are erected under one roof of 

 larch timber and slate, and enclosed in front and behind by sub- 

 stantial walls of stone. The partitions between the pens them- 

 selves are constructed of larch hurdles fixed at each end to larch 

 uprights, which support at the same time the roof. Each set of 

 pens is divided by a passage communicating with the outside 

 court, where the unlambed ewes lie at night. On entering a 

 passage we have three pens on each side, provided with gates, 

 hung on hinges, and fastening by means of an eye and drawbolt. 

 A few pens are made six feet square, so that, should the shep- 

 herd have ewes with trins, he may have ample accommodation 

 for them, should he not require the third lamb for another ewe. 

 There are hfty-four pens, and the reason for such a large number 

 is that, should severe weather — as a snow-storm — come on 

 during the season, the ewes may be penned instead of lying 

 out. 



By having a number of doors into the lambing shed instead of 

 a few, the lamber is enabled to house the ewe at the point 

 nearest the place where she lambed. This is often a great 

 saving of time and trouble, as, should a gimmer lamb, she will 

 not readily follow her lambs to a distant pen, and when the 

 attendant is in a hurry to attend to other sheep he is glad to be 

 able to put the ewe or gimmer in, without having far to drive 

 her. To make it all the easier for him, the pens are constructed 

 round three sides of the square court, so that at whatever part of 

 the court a ew^e lambs he has shelter at hand. A covered court. 



